Page 146 of Of Storm and Emerald
After pulling her friend from the floor, the two women set about turning off the faucets, then headed into the sitting room where Xander stood looking out over the garden of peonies.
As she came to his side, she looped her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder.
“I think they started dying the same moment she did.” His words, though barely above a whisper, cut through the silence like a hot knife.
And as she looked out over the garden, she realized what he meant. The once full and bright blooms seemed to have dulled and wilted. Like they, too, were mourning the loss of the queen.
Piper walked across the room and wrapped her arms around Auraelia’s waist.
The three of them stayed that way, watching the sun make its trek downward in the sky, until there was a knock on the door that announced the arrival of their dinner.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Auraelia
Auraeliawokebrightandearly to sunlight streaming through the banquette window in the sitting room.
She, Piper, and Xander had been up most of the night trying to figure out the best way to handle things with Garnet, and it seemed as if they’d talked themselves to sleep.
Rising from her spot on the deep cushioned couch, she carefully stepped over where Piper had fallen asleep on the floor surrounded by pillows. But as she passed where Xander was sleeping in one of the armchairs, his arm shot out and gripped her wrist.
“Sneaking off by yourself, Your Majesty?” he asked, cracking one eye in her direction.
“Don’t call me that.”
He released his grip and peeled himself from the chair, raising his arms over his head in a full body stretch, then sighed.
His eyes were full of empathy as he looked at her. “I know you’re not ready to hear it, but the title is yours. And anyone you come into contact with outside of this room, is going to use it.”
She closed her eyes and exhaled. “I know.”
Xander put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. “Come on, let’s go see what’s in these archives.”
“What about Piper?” Right as she asked, as a small snore sounded from the pile of pillows on the floor.
Both Xander and Auraelia covered their mouths to stifle a laugh. “Let her sleep. She can join us later.”
The Court of Emerald’s archives were located through a hidden passage in the council chambers, behind a door that could only be accessed by the queen.
There was a pin next to the lock, and to open it, Auraelia would have to prick her finger and let the blood drip into it. The lock was said to have been imbued with magic by the Goddess Rhayne herself, and only the blood and magic of the reigning queen could access what was behind the door. How it knew who was on the throne was a mystery in and of itself, but Auraelia didn’t question it as the door swung open.
They’d been searching for hours, and still hadn’t found anything of significance by the time Piper joined them–bringing a carafe of coffee and a tray piled high with pastries with her.
Auraelia and Xander–after much insisting from Piper–stopped long enough to eat and have a cup of coffee before they dove back into their work.
By lunch, they still had nothing, so Auraelia told them to take a break and she’d let them know if she found anything.
Begrudgingly, they agreed and left.
Hours passed as she sifted through piles of books and roll after roll of parchment, and still, she found nothing.
Lifting the stack she’d just finished going through, she headed back into the archives to put them away, but when she walked through the door, it was like she’d walked into a different chamber entirely.
Red leatherbound books that hadn’t been there before stood out like beacons, and she almost dropped the stack she held in her hands.
She hurriedly put the other books away, then pulled every red spine she could find and headed back into the main chamber.
Tome after tome proved everything that Davina had said to be true.
